The present invention relates to an automatic developing machine for silver halide photographic light-sensitive material (hereinafter, referred to as a developing machine) which processes a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material (hereinafter, it may be referred to as "a light-sensitive material").
In conventional photographic processing, after rolls of film were received at the reception of a photographic-specializing shop, undeveloped films or color negative films are collected and sent to a photo-finishing laboratory, called "lab", where each rolls of film is subjected to photographic processing.
Recently, however, following downsizing of automatic developing machines, so-called mini-labs, completed by means of a downsized automatic developing machine at the reception of the photographic-specializing shop, has been increasing. Recently, aforesaid mini-labs have come to be proliferated in drug stores, etc. other than the photographic-specializing shop. Further, tendency of dispersion of labs and downsizing have also accelerated.
Aforesaid developing machine is composed of color developing, bleaching, bleach-fixing, fixing, stabilizing and washing steps, in which a light-sensitive material is processed by means of respective processing liquid. In aforesaid automatic developing machine, replenishment of a new processing liquid is conducted dependent upon the amount of processed light-sensitive material.
Under aforesaid dispersion conditions, the amount of light-sensitive material processed per day in one automatic developing machine tends to be lessened. Since the automatic developing machine renews a processing liquid depending upon the amount of light-sensitive material processed, as the amount of light-sensitive material processed is reduced, the renewal rate of the processing liquid is reduced and the processing liquid remains in the processing tank in an automatic developing machine for a long time. Accordingly, the processing liquid is condensed and deteriorated. If the processing liquid is deteriorated, sufficient processing ability is lost. For example, the maximum density of the light-sensitive material after photographic processing is deteriorated. In addition, the change of the degree of the developing liquid due to deterioration is not always the same, it is difficult to obtain constant quality of developability.
In addition, tar which occurs due to the deterioration of the processing liquid, contamination on the automatic developing machine due to the coagulation by condensation of the processing liquid after being processed and the occurrence of mildews and bacteria tend to occur.
Specifically, recently, in order to reduce load on environment, the technologies have been developed in the direction of low liquid-discarding and low replenishing. Accordingly, the above-mentioned problems has further been serious.
As a technology to enhance renewal rate of the processing liquid without increasing the amount of effluent and replenisher, it is considered to reduce the capacity of the processing liquid tank. However, if the volume of the processing liquid is reduced in order to enhance renewal rate of the processing liquid, conveyance path is shortened. Ordinarily, in a processing step time, in which one processing step is included, it is considered that it is preferable to dip a light-sensitive material in the processing liquid as long as possible from both viewpoints of rapid processing property and processing stability. Accordingly, in order not to reduce dipping time in a shortened conveyance path, conveyance speed must be slowed. However, this reduced processing ability of the automatic developing machine is reduced.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a technology to cause the processing liquid tank slit-shaped for the reduction of the liquid amount of the processing liquid tank is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter, referred to Japanese Tokkaisho) No. 2-129635.
However, even due to this method, there is a limit to reduction of the amount of processing liquid in the processing liquid tank. Therefore, deterioration of the processing liquid due to reduction of the above-mentioned renewal rate cannot completely be overcome.